The tennis balls you use for your tennis coaching are vitally important. You are going to go through a LOT of tennis balls and so you cannot use the most expensive balls, especially when you are teaching new players, but you also have to use good quality balls. Good quality tennis balls for coaching are pricy which is why you really need to do your research.
One of the most important pieces of equipment a tennis coach needs to invest in are tennis balls. Here’s our guide on how to go about this.
Questions to Ask Before Buying Tennis Balls for Coaching
Before you buy balls in bulk for tennis coaching, ask yourself a few questions:-
- What age am I coaching?
- Will these balls be well looked after?
- How many balls may get lost, on a daily basis!
- Are these the right balls for my pupils?
- How important is it to impress my players / parents with top quality balls?
- Are these tennis balls a worthwhile investment?
Sometimes, it is much better to get good quality balls that are going to last longer than cheap tennis balls. However if you have erratic students who are going to wallop the balls over the tennis court perimeters, into the woods and never to be seen again, you want to be careful with the balls you spend money on.
If you are coaching beginners, go for:
- Good quality balls, but not the most expensive on the market.
- Second hand balls are also fine, as long as they are not flat.
- Pressure less balls are the way to go.
- Some gimmicky or foam tennis balls may help.
You might also want to read our step by step starters guide on how to coach a tennis beginner here.
If you are coaching intermediate tennis players:
- Quality balls are becoming more important.
- Pressure less ball are good.
- Second hand balls are fine, as long as the condition is good.
If you are coaching professional tennis players:
- You need good quality balls, full stop!
- Pressurised balls are preferable.
Also Read:
The quality of the ball does enhance the game performance, so as a tennis coach you need to weigh up tennis performance against the price of tennis balls against the expectations of players and against the confidence of players.
Tennis Balls in a Can
Tennis balls are usually supplied in cans of three or four. Dunlop, Wilson, Babolat, Slazenger, Prince, Penn, Gamma and Tretorn are all good tennis ball brands.
Buying in cans is not too expensive if you are going to be playing socially, or with a club, but if you are coaching tennis, the cost of the cans can add up. You need to look at the costs, check out wholesale or bulk prices of tennis balls, or find a second hand tennis ball supplier, and make decisions.
Different Types of Tennis Balls
- Beginner tennis balls
- Regular duty tennis balls
- Pressure less tennis balls
- Pressurised tennis balls
- Extra duty tennis balls
Beginner Tennis balls
Penn Tennis Balls
Pressure less tennis balls are easier for beginner players and good for coaches as the balls are long lasting and unlikely to go flat. Many tennis coaches use Penn Tennis Balls that are sold in bulk, in baskets of 12 or 48. Their non pressurised tennis balls are said to be long lasting. The balls are excellent quality, durable, long lasting and come packed in a basket, easy and convenient for carrying balls and for collecting balls. They’re also perfect for a tennis ball machine.
Bear in mind that Penn also supply and make championship and high quality tennis balls.
Tourna Mesh Carry Tennis Ball
These are also excellent tennis balls for coaches and their beginner players. The balls keep their bounce and have a long life span. They are pressure less balls, good quality and made from non toxic material. They are also available in bulk, making them a top choice for tennis coaches.
Gamma Bucket of Pressure-less Tennis Balls
The word BUCKET says it all. If you are coaching, and your players are beginner or intermediate level, you want pressure less balls and you want a lot of balls. The Gamma Balls last a long time, come with a great bucket and make these balls an extremely good choice; they are pretty high quality too.
Also Read:
What are the best tennis balls on the market?
- Slazenger are the official balls for Wimbledon.
- Babolat are the official balls of the French Open.
- Wilson are the official balls for the US Open and Australian Grand Slam
- Dunlop are the official balls for ATP tennis tours.
The Slazenger Wimbledon official tennis balls are fantastic for grass court tennis, but they make clay court and hard surface tennis balls too, of the highest quality.
Babolat and Wilson offer a range of ball for hard courts, as well as tennis balls for high altitudes and high elevations.
Players often have a preference for the tennis balls they play with, although in a world tournament they go with the ball of the tournament. Most of the above top quality and luxurious tennis balls meet the same standards – excellent bounce, great visibility and top endurance.
Beginner tennis players do not need the fabulous Slazenger, Wilsons or Babolats of this world, rather a ball that will last, help the player (pressure less) and help the coach too.
How much is the average spend on tennis balls?
This is difficult! Currently, but this is all subject to change.
- A Gamma bag of 18 tennis balls – from USD 18.
- Gamma sports pressure less tennis balls – from USD 63.
- 2 cans Penns Tennis Balls, Extra Duty – from USD 13.99
- Tourna Mesh Carry Bag 18 balls – from USD 15.40
- Wilson US Open Regular balls – from USD 4.99 per can
- Wilson Prime All Court Tennis balls – from USD 5.99 per can
- Bidem Tennis Balls practice pack of 12 – from USD 14.99
- Dunlop ATP Championship 12 x 3 ball cans from USD 39.47.
Please note, these are rates in 2020 and are subject to change with time and the retailer in question.
The average for a good can of balls seems to be around USD 5.00, and given good quality tennis balls will last a long time, this is not bad at all.
The above is based on Amazon Tennis Balls, and of course prices, availability, stock and details can change at any time.
You can buy tennis balls online from a number of stockists and tennis sports stores. What is clear is that balls are available in bulk, for tennis coaches, in particular for the beginner and intermediate phase, usually including a basket or a mesh bag, and the prices are good!
If you are looking to buy tennis balls in USA, you can refer to our guide here which looks at how to buy tennis equipment in America.
Stockists of Tennis Balls
We mentioned Amazon but if you are in the USA, or Canada, and buying online, you can also look at:-
- Tennis Plaza
- Tennis Warehouse
- Smash Inn
- Tennis Express
- Tennis Point
Do your research, compare a few prices, order online and check how quick the delivery is. There are many options for buying tennis balls, whether at the store or online. If you are a tennis coach, buy in bulk and buy balls that are going to last! Now, what was the score again?